Mowing machine



'(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. M KANE MOWING MACHINE.

No. 416,168. Patented D'e0. 8, 1889;

v (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet '2.

M. KANE. MOWING MACHINE.

No. 416,168. Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

N nzmws. Piwlmljklmgmphcr. Washington. 0. a

UNITED STATES PATENT Orr-ten.

MAURICE KANE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE \VARDER, BUSH- NELL & GLESSNER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MOWlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,168, dated December 3, 1889.

Application filed July 2, 1889- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MAURICE KANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mowing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to I0 which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consistsin acertain improved mowing-machine and in the details of construction thereof, hereinafter to be described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a mowing-machine embodying inyinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, a

portion of the cutting apparatus being removed. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the springsupported carrying mechanism. Fig. 4c is a detailed View of the adjustable pitman. Fig.

5 is a detailed view in section, showing my improved lubricating-bearing. Figs. 6 and '7 are detailed views in section, showing my im- 2 5 proved ball-and-socket bearing. Fig. Sis a cross-section of the cutting apparatus, with side view of the guard-finger, showing my improved form of bearing and back for the cutter-bar.

The various features of the invention hereinafter described are shown in connection with a mowingmachine having the wellknown Eickemeyer driving-gear, described and illustrated in Patent No. 101,719, granted April 12, 1870, to Rudolf Eickemeyer, of

Yonkers, New York.

A is the main frame, which is hinged or sleeved on the main drivingaxle and supported on the forward bearing-wheel A, which 40 is supported in the arm A and this arm is attached to the main frame at the point a,

and may be made vertically adjustable by means of the graduated bolt-holes a, or by slot and bolt, or in any of the other wellknown methods of adjustment. The axle of this bearing-wheel is in thev same vertical plane with the points of the cutters The cutterdnariil runs in the guard-fingers E and on the fin 'er-bar E and has an an le- 0 n n b u 7 0 g 0 iron back1nE which has its downwardl Serial No. 316,318. (No model.)

' projecting flange e beveled at an acute angle,

so as to lit the upper forward edge e of the finger-bar E, which is beveled to a corresponding angle, all as shown in Fig. 8. The cutterbar is kept in place upon the finger-bar by suitable overhanging lugs or cleats X X X in the usual manner.

The finger-bar E and the cutting mechanism carried thereby are supported by the link f, hooking into the eye e and depending from the hoisting-lever F. This hoisting-lever F is pivoted on the main frame A, and has a crank-arm O, to which is pivoted .a link I), which passes through a perforated lug b on the draft-pole ofthe machine, and terminates in a thread, on which runs an adjusting-nut B.- Between the nut B and the lug Z) is confined a spiral spring 13, all as shown in Fig. 8.

The swath-board is made in two parts D and D, being divided transversely and connected by the hinges d, as shown in Fig. 1. A spring (1 tends to keep the two parts of the swath-board normally in line one with the other.

The motion from the driving-gear of the machine is transmitted to the cutting mechanism by the triangular arm G in the customary manner in machines of this character. To transmit the motion of the driving-arm G to the mower-knife E, I employ the adjusta ble pitman M, (shown in detail in Fig. 4.) This pitman M terminates at one end in a fork having two branches M M Each branch of this fork is threaded and passes through perforated lugs on the two parts an m of the spherical box, which incloses the spherical end of the driving-arm G and forms a ball and socket joint therewith. This spherical box is held in place by means of the nuts m and m On the outer side nuts m have their faces recessed, as shown, and the threaded spindles or ends of the branches M of the pitman are perforated transversely. A pin m may thus be inserted through these perforations and through any pair of recesses in the faces of the nut .m and thereby lock the same when the desired adjustment has been attained. It is evident that the lower end of the driving-arm G will movein ashort arc, and it is therefore necessary that the pitman M should have a slight degree of play at the point of its attachment to the cutterbar. The amount of play, however, is not greater than can be obtained by an ordinary pin-joint if the same is not adjusted too tightly. To permit of this somewhat loose adjustment and at the same time prevent the joint becoming entirely disconnected from the rapid motion of, the parts, I employ a nut M which screws onto the end of the pin forming the joint, and is held in whatever position of adjustment it may be placed by means of the V-shaped teeth m cutin its circumference and meshing with the V shaped point I of a bolt L, which slides in guides m on the pitman M, and is spring-pressed into engagement with the tooth m by a spiral spring L, which is compressed between a suitable lug 011 the pitman and a suitable lug on the bolt, all as shown. This improvementl do not specifically claim in this application, but have fully described the same in my pending application for patent filed September 30, 1889, Serial N 0. 325,571, which said application is a division of this present application. It is customary in this form of driving-gear to have one vertex of the triangular drivingarm G turn on a straight pin, which is attached to a small fly-wheel set in the main frame. In my improved construction I use a ball-and-socket joint, and the socket for this joint is composed of the two-part cup 9 which has the projecting extension or shank g. This projection enters a perforation in the split end of the drivingarm G, and the two parts of this split end are closed and clamped upon the extension by means of the bolt g, all as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. p

The crank-bearing on the fly-wheel ll consists of the ball 72 set in the fly-wheel by means of its shank h. The bearing for the fiy-wheel H consists of the inclined sleeve h, set in the portion it of the main frame. The lower end of this sleeve is closed by a screw-- plug 71 The journal is kept from pressing down upon this screw-plug by means of the fly-wheel H or some equivalent projecting flange, the lower face of which bears against the inner and upper end of the sleeve and supports the weight of the journal from causing the same to slip down upon the screwplug. By this means a space is always left between the end of the journal and the bottom or closed end of the bearingsleeve.

The draft-pole Y is mounted in the hounds Y in the usual manner.

The mode of operation of the various features of my invention is obvious.

Some of the advantages are the following: The placing of the carrying-wheel so that its axis is in the same vertical plane with the points of the mower-knife enables it to lift the said knife over any obstructions or inequalities in the ground at just the right moment. The spring-supported carryingear allows a portion of the weight of the cutter-bar, when the latter is down in operative position,to be borne by the draft-pole, and therefore the cutter-bar and the carrying-wheel will be more easily lifted over any obstructions or inequalities by virtue of said spring. At the same time, when the hoisting-lever is thrown back and the cutter-bar is lifted up out of its operative position for transportation from place to place, the entire weight is thrown upon the main frame,which is supported by the wheels, and there is no downward drag upon the horses, the draft-pole being entirely relieved from any weight except its own. The advantages of the construction of the adjustable pitman and its connections are obvious, inasmuch as they evidently attain the desired objects of adjustment and will retain the same under the conditions of rapid motion to which this part of the mechanism is subjected, and at the same time are simple in construction.

The advantage of the construction shown in Fig. 0 lies in the fact that the inclined bearing-sleeve 7t, being closed at its lower end, will form a cup for retaining the lubricating material. The dirt and gummy matter in the lubricating material will collect at the lower end and can be readily removed by taking out the scre\' -plug 7L2.

The advantage of the construction of the cutter-bar with the angle-iron backing shown in Fig. 8 lies in the fact that the backward pressure of the cutters will cause it to fit more closely to the finger-bar and the lower surface of the guard-fingers, thereby avoiding rattling and producing a clean out between the closely-working edges of the knives.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. The swath-board divided into two parts, which are hinged together, together with a spring for keeping the two parts normally in line one with the other, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the main frame hinged to the main axle, the hoisting-lever pivoted to the frame and arranged to lift the cutting apparatus, the link which connects said lever with said cutting apparatus, the cutting apparatus and the draft-pole, together with the spring-connection between the hoisting-lever and the draftpole, whereby when the cutting apparatus is down a portion of its weight is supported on the pole. but when the cutting apparatus is lifted all the weight is taken off the pole and is supported entirely by the main frame, substan* tially as described.

3. The combination of the main frame hinged or sleeved upon the main axle, the hoisting-lever pivoted to the frame and arranged to lift the cutting apparatus, the cutting apparatus and the draft-pole, together with the perforated lug on the draft-pole, the link connected to the hoisting-lever and passing through said lug, the nut and thread on IIO ing link, which consists in the combination of the two-part cup which has a circular shank or extension, the split and perforated end of the vibrating link for the reception of said shank, and the bolt for clamping the two portions of the split end upon the said shank, substantially as described. a

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MAURICE KANE.

Witnesses:

R. C. HASKINS, A. V. STEWART. 

